Anticipating Sanity
by The Embedded Shame
Summary: Angela Allegra, part time reporter, and part time fiancee to the most notorious vigilante in Gotham history, had been warned about accepting these innocent gifts from this Joe Kurh guy. She's now found herself the punch line to a dangerous joke.
1. Chapter 1

_Updated August 20th, 1:00 AM exactly, so it would make more sense._

**Author's Note** In my series, Bruce has not yet met Joker, just to clear it up. This story is inspired from Heath Ledger's (Rest In Peace) rendition of the most amazing villain out there, The Joker, from "_The Dark Knight._" This is a story one which I am making up as I go along, so if you want to read more, submit a few good reviews, and I'll continue it. If this fails to receive at least 2 reviews in the week, then I am taking it off the site.

* * *

**Anticipating Sanity  
**

Chapter One

_Authored By The Embedded Shame_

**_Characters you may recognize are copyright DC Comics. Ones you do not recognize are probably mine. _**

* * *

_Hey, it's Bruce!_

Angela Allegra dashed down the paved road, across the street to where a cab had just pulled up, just as a worried, or so it seemed to Angela, Bruce Wayne pulled out from it. He turned around, greeting her with a fake smile. He must have heard the the loud thuds her stilettos made when they came contact to the ground under neath him. Soon as he laid his eyes on her, his expression had changed drastically. He went from worried and scarred to fake and happy.

"Morning, Angela." He spoke with intensity.

"Well if it isn't Bruce Wayne."

Angela reached into her purse,pushing aside the lipstick and compact disk, and pulling out a 20, which he handed to the cab driver.

"Will this be enough?" She asked the balding guy, who blew smoke in her face.

_If he doesn't put that out_, she expressed to herself,_ I'll have to do it myself._

"Perfect!" the driver spoke, grabbing the money eagerly, and driving off.

Bruce looked at her, with a thankful smile.

"You didn't have to do that." He said.

"I wanted to, darling. Plus, you look a little flushed."  
"It's just the stocks. They've been rising, and lowering, and things are just unsteady, I guess."  
They both walked down a narrow street, as close to the stores as possible, for Gotham was notorious for it's busy streets.

"No, it's not that." Angela held Bruce's hand in hers, and looked up into his eyes. It wasn't just that at all.

"Yes, that's exactly what it is."

Even though he kept his face stiff, she had learnt to read his eyes by now.

"Listen, Bruce, if it's commitment issues, or if you aren't ready --"

"Angela, it's not that. If you insist, this Joe Kurh thing...it's kinda had me worried. I mean, who is this guy anyways? I certainly don't know him, and these flowers...it's too much. If you want to know what I think, I think he's a little odd upstairs, and you need stop accepting his bouquets, and letters. You're leading him on. "

"Listen, if this Joe Kurh guy does this again, I'll be sure to send them back!"

"I'm serious, Angela. Please, for me."

They both smiled at each other, and after a few minutes of walking, stopped next to a at least 39 story high building. Angela looked up to the top of it, even when it made her swoon, and read the letters out loud to Bruce.

"_The Gotham Times_." she spoke, not too eagerly.

Bruce didn't look up, but looked at her, lost in her eyes.

She looked back at him, "Back to work, huh?"

"Yep."

A few seconds passed as they both looked into each others eyes, before Bruce decided to ask for a kiss. She reached up and kissed him passionately, as he did the same.

_Cherry flavored chap stick_, he thought._ Mm_.

They said goodbye, and she retrieved inside and soon disappeared.

For another second, Bruce stood there, looking at her descend up the escalators from the glass doors. He smiled, knowing he had the most amazing fiancee anyone could ask for, and that she was his. Turning back to the streets, he whistled and in no time, a yellow cab pulled up.

"Where to?" A husky, disorientated voice asked Bruce as he hopped inside.

"Wayne Tech, company house." Bruce answered the man.

The man's voice was unsettling, yet somewhat playful.

"You got it."

The ride was silent at first.

"She's a keeper, isn't she?" The driver spoke, startling Bruce.

"Who?"  
"The one you watched go inside that humongous building." he answered.  
"Angela?" Bruce asked, unsure.  
"Are you asking _me_ her name?"

Bruce chuckled, and mumbled a yeah.

The driver didn't reply after that, but Bruce waited nonetheless. He still didn't answer, and Bruce was now tired of waiting, so he decided to check this guy out. His whole attire...it was a bit creepy. He wore a green vest, torn and ripped, and his hair, however much he could see, were also green. Bruce decided to try and make out his face, which was hiding by a white and red baseball cap.  
_It looks like scars,_ he thought. A shiver ran down his spine.

This was getting a bit creepy for Bruce's tastes, so he payed the guy, and got out of the cab. He decided to walk to his destination, since it was close. Something wasn't right here. Not one bit.

Inside The Gotham Times publishing house, Angela, rummaging though the stacks of papers around her desk, let slip a sigh of exhaustion, and continued to look for the article that was due in exactly half an hour. Mr. Davis would kill her if she didn't give that in, and the possibilities were endless, one of which led to her being fired, which she just couldn't afford to happen since her rent for this month and last month were way over due. She never told Bruce any of this stuff, since she didn't want him to worry. He was busy enough as it was, and if he knew of her problem, he'd make her move in with him, which she just didn't like the idea of, not until they were married, of course.

"Yes!" she screamed with joy, jumping in her chair, and holding up a small booklet of white papers with writing on them. She set the mug down, and ran for the door, just when it swung open.

She fell back on the rough red rug, and hit her head on the leg of her desk, knocking over the mug down on her head.

_Crap,_ she thought.

"Angel...shit! I'm so sorry!"

Angela lifted her head up, and parted her hair away from her eyes, so she could see who it was.  
It was Donny, the courier boy, holding a bouquet of red roses and vines.  
"No worries, Donny."  
Angela pulled out her hand, asking to be picked up, as Donny set the bouquet down, and helped her retrieve her steps.

Though wet and however dirty she felt standing next to Donny, a mere glimpse of his blue eyes was enough to lighten her up. She stood around 5'6, not even close to him for he stood at exactly 6'3, even though he was younger than her by two years. His long, dirty blond , somewhat emo hair, covered his left eye, making him out to be mysterious, and that's what she found most attractive.

"Angela, you OK?" Donny asked, giving her a confused look.

She shook her head, "Yeah, I'm perfect!"

Her divided attention was now on the bouquet which was set next to her legs. She bent down, and picked them up.

"For me?"

He nodded.

Just then, one of the thorns from the vines made its way into her thumb, letting loose a drip of blood.

"Who's it from?" Donny asked.

Angela looked at him, confused also, since she thought it would be from him. .

She parted the vines, and could not find a card anywhere. She kept on doing this until she came across a rose which had not yet bloomed. It was a different color than all of the other red ones. This one was a black one. Well, it looked black, but if you payed enough attention like Angela was, you could make out the hints of purple on the petals.

Donny looked just as eagerly onto the rose, as it bloomed in front of their eyes. The petals parted, almost too technically.

"I've never seen a rose bloom." Angela said, not looking away from its beauty.

Donny nodded, hypnotized.

They both watched the rose double in size, and triple in beauty, until you could make out a white ... card inside.

"Uh..."

"Whoever sent you these is definitely a keeper."

Angela still pondered about the rose in her mind, that she didn't notice Donny had left the room.

She carefully reached to the core of the fully bloomed flower, pulled out the small card, and started reading it out loud for herself.

_For the roses represent the beauty outside,_

_the thorns represent the scars inside..._

And an eerie trail of red ink continued even after the sentence had finished. She turned the card.

_Joe Kurh_, she repeated it a few times in her mind. She shouldn't accept this. Bruce's words ran in her head. But someone went out of their head to time the rose perfectly, and to send her these. She felt like it was her right to accept those.

"Oh!" she remembered the paper that was due! Mr. Davis would have her ass if he didn't get the article by...crap! Just 10 more minutes.

Angela put down the bouquet, deciding she would decide what to do with them tomorrow, and shook off the last few drops of coffee dripping from her hair, and grabbed the article and left to present it to her boss.

Crap, she said to herself. It's going to be a long night.

* * *

_**PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW, if you want more. Thanks!**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note **_Sorry this chapter hasn't been put up for a while. I thought I put it up a day ago, but apparently not. Chapter three's already in the making and should be up by Tuesday. I know, that's late, but what can ya do? School's starting, and I'm already working on a new story. Keep and eye out for that. On another note, this story isn't going to be long. It's probably only for 5-8 chapters, maybe less. Sorry. So, yeah, read and hopefully also review it!_

* * *

**Anticipating Sanity**

Chapter Two

_I claim no right over the wonderful world that DC has provided us, it being "**Batman**"_

* * *

She stood in front of a wooden desk, with stacks of paper after paper, and a computer, looking onto Mr. Davis. She'd been in this office almost everyday since she started working here to collect her case, and every time she came in, a sense of mysteriousness and awareness washed over her.

"I've got a new report for you, Ms. Allegra." He looked up at her from his computer screen, finally, and handed her a brown envelope. "I'll need to see you back in my office in four hours, to discuss your previous work, Angie." He added, just before she eagerly collected it from him, and waited for him to say something else. When he didn't acknowledge this notion, she knew he wasn't going to say anything else.

She clutched tightly onto the envelope, and made her way out the door. As she emerged from the his _lair_, or so everyone called it, she took a deep breath and let it all out. Just then, Gina passed her with a cup of coffee in her hand.

"Walk." She said in Angela's ear, and motioned for her to follow. She quickly picked up her pace, as they passed Danny's desk. Danny managed to sneak a wink at Angela, making her blush, although she knew she couldn't.

"So, what's the dish?" Gina stopped at a dark brown wooden resolute desk, in the center of the huge room, from where one could see what everyone was up to. She pulled back the black executive leather chair, taking a seat. Angela now sat in front of her best friend, and executive editor of _The Gotham Times, _admiring the ditsy blonde in wonder as to why she hadn't split her coffee this morning.

"What's that?" Gina pointed at the envelope Angela held in her hand, as she took a sip of the hot coffee. Angela sighed, as the woman in front of her yelled a curse word after spilling the coffee on her white button up shirt. Ah, there it is.

"Oh, this? Just my pregnancy tests."  
"Oh my god! Really?!"

"No, idiot, it's my new case." Angela laughed in amusement, not believing Gina actually thought she meant it.  
"So what's this case?" A slight look of disappointment washed over Gina's face.  
"I Don't know, I haven't opened it."

Angela looked down at the envelope, only hoping for the best...and easy, since this would be her first real case, without having to be escorted by Davis, himself. She battled herself whether to open it when she got home, or right now. Just As she began to unravel the string around the bright, plastic button which rested on the hem of the envelope, a deep voice threw her off from her task. She turned around to see Donny standing behind her.

"Hey." He said, smiling.

_No, not again._

Angela stared at the vase he held in his left hand, along with a blood red card, which matched the willow twigs, and red leaves, which added an ominous feel to the twigs, and more tension for Angela. This was the third thing she'd received this week, and no doubt was this Joe guy going to stop, unless she did something about it.

"Here's Donny." Donny smiled at Angela, handing her the vase. She hesitated to take it, but did anyways. Although, it didn't help that Gina kept telling Donny to hand it over.

"I say Bruce has got some competition." Angela heard Gina remark, as Donny disappeared once again. Just once, Angela sighed, could he not finish a full conversation?

"No, it's _from_ Bruce."  
"Oh, really?"  
She couldn't believe it herself, as she opened the card. This was the first time, since they'd been engaged two years ago, she'd received something heartfelt from Bruce. She was doubting if he even loved her.

"Yeah." She started to wander in her mind once again, blocking out Gina's excited screams, as she read the words to herself.

_I know it hasn't been long since I last saw you my dear,  
But to me it feels as long as five hundred year.  
I miss you to the point I am loosing all sanity,  
There has to be an end to all this calamity._

_I think of you every second and every breath,  
For you I would stare even into the face of death.  
To kiss your lips is to taste the sweetness of love,  
And it brings forth feelings from the heavens above._

_To look into your eyes is to gaze into the sky,  
So beautiful with the stars and the heavens inside.  
To see your smile is to see the divine,  
This poem is for you, sweet love of mine._

"What does it say?" She asked.

" Jason Roop."  
"It says Jason Roop? Gee, I didn't think Bruce was that kinda guy. He always had a way with the women."  
"No, I mean -- it's a poem by him."

Angela's eyes drifted down to the address given below, and the time indicated. Maybe this was finally it. Something that would assure her once again that he still cared...

"So, tomorrow?" Gina smuggled a sly grin, watching Angela giggle like a giddy schoolgirl, as she rose from the chair, and walked off.

_**Angela's Point Of View - Scene Two  
**_

I'd dropped off the vase and card at my apartment, and was now on my way to Bruce's.

I searched the components of my Gucci handbag, while trying to remain in once place as the taxi bounced while trying to avoid the pot holes around the construction site. I finally pulled out a silver Motorola razor, and dialed Bruce's number. After four beeps, if not more, someone answered.

"Good Evening. Wayne Manor." An elderly voice greeted.

"Good evening, Alfred. Would Bruce be available?" I had to speak extra loud, since the drilling and all the other noises made it hard to hear myself. Poor Alfred, I thought. His ears would be bleeding by now.

We got through the site safely just as Alfred replied to my question.

"Yes, he is. Should I get him?"  
"No, thank you. It would be nice if you'd tell him I'm dropping by."

"Very well, Angela. When shall you be here, then?"  
"I'm pulling up right now."  
With that, we both hung up, as the taxi pulled in front of two bronze painted gates, behind which stood the infamous Wayne Manor, home of Bruce Wayne, my fiancee, and my amazing knight in black armor. I looked up at the amazing architecture of the manor, only guessing how old it could be. A while back, however, the manor had been nearly destroyed in a fire, caused by Ra's Al Ghul, thus the darker bricks, which were still needed to be replaced.

I left a thirty dollar bill in the back seat, and got out of the cab, grabbing my purse. As I did, I looked back the driver, whom had his head low the entire drive, trying to make out his face under neath that strange ... green ... hair ...

Huh. You don't see that very often.

I couldn't catch much of anything, though, since his baseball cap had been pulled over his face, masking it. Deciding to ignore it, I walked over to the intercom, and held down the red button.

"Open up, Alfred."  
"What's the magic word?" He spoke through the speakers.  
"Please?"

The gates parted, followed by a beep from the intercom.

I hadn't noticed the cab drive didn't pull away, until I climbed the steps to the actual house. By the time I stood at the actual door of the building, the cab was gone.  
The creaking of the door got my attention, as Alfred stood to greet me. Of course. I gave him a kiss on the cheek, and almost tripped as soon as I entered the hall.

"Oops!"

I collected my steps, as Alfred apologized and pointed out he just had the manor "washed." I told him not to worry about it, and started to walk towards the living room. I knew this place all too well, since I'd spent every night here up until a few weeks ago, when Bruce started to disappear with the darkness that came with the night. Although I knew why he tended to that, I feared, every night, that he would come back one night, bleeding or maybe worse. His night pals weren't really your average poker buddies.

As I walked in to the living room, often confused as Bruce's Ball room because of the emptyness of it despite the amount of space, I found Bruce sitting on a black leather sofa, going through this month's addition of GQ magazine, as always. It wasn't until I sat next to him, that he noticed me.  
His left arm wrapped around me, as he kept read the article.

"Well, hello, there." He spoke, quiet enough so only I could hear. "What brings you to this part of town?"  
His fingers toyed with my hair, waking up a sensation on my skin, as he did so.

"I just wanted to see you. And to do this."

I planted a kiss on his lips, savoring the taste, the passion for each second, for as long as I could.  
He pulled away all of a sudden, as I heard a cough from behind me. Darn it, Alfred.

"Master Wayne, channel nine is broadcasting something you might be interested in."  
And he left, just as fast as Bruce pulled away.

Bruce's eyes seemed to be hunting for something, when I handed him the remote. A squeaky voice, only his, made contact to my ears, as I could only make out it was meant to be a "thank you."

As he pressed the power button, a blonde woman popped up on the screen, in front of a Gothic house, which stood firmly on the hill. The sheer look of it made a tingle run down your spine.

_"Good evening, Gotham. This is Cynthia Marrows reporting, for channel nine. Behind me is the noted Arkham Asylum, house and rehab to some of the most noted villains in the history of Gotham, where just a few hours ago, a patient had been reported missing."_

This only peaked Bruce's interest more, as a wash of jealousy and anger plotted with in me.

_"An image of the convict is flashing before you now."_

As the woman spoke, a picture of a man flashed on the screen. My eyes went wide, and so did Bruce's. The man's acidic green hair, and plum shape was what caught my attention. I continued to survey his appearance, as the mysterious scars on his face made me linger only longer around his features. The scars weren't the weird thing, though. What really caught my attention was the makeup...

I swear, that cab driver, without the scars and makeup, looked insanely like him. Probably just a coincidence.  
The woman continued to talk, as me and Bruce both watched the screen.

_"Supposedly, the guard who was sent to monitor him, was found dead, stabbed, in the groin area. The temperature of his blood indicates that the man had died three days before, possibly when the patient escaped. So where is he now, the question arises, to which we are trying our best to answer._"

I looked at Bruce, and his worried expression. His grip around my shoulder tightened as I dug my face in his chest.

_"He does not have a name yet, however, his fellow "call mates" who were interviewed reffered to him as The Joker."_

I repeated that over in my mind... _Joker... Joker... Joe Kurh_!

He, too, must have realized this, because he shut off the television and looked straight at me.

"I knew there was something more to this, Angela."  
"I'm sorry for doubting you."  
He sighed in frustration, and kissed my forehead.  
I rose from the warmth of his arms, since I needed to meet up with Mr. Davis, however much I didn't feel like it.

"Where are you going?" He watched me pick up my purse, and collect myself.

"I need to see Mr. Davis in fifteen minutes. Do you mind?"  
"No, I'll drop you off. From now on, you are not to take a cab."

* * *

**_And So, this is the end. In the next chapter, I can definetly promise you a good climax. Thanks for reading, and remember to review._**


End file.
